title: Intravenous ascorbic acid to prevent and treat cancer-associated sepsis?
abstract: The history of ascorbic acid (AA) and cancer has been marked with controversy. Clinical studies evaluating AA in cancer outcome continue to the present day. However, the wealth of data suggesting that AA may be highly beneficial in addressing cancer-associated inflammation, particularly progression to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multi organ failure (MOF), has been largely overlooked. Patients with advanced cancer are generally deficient in AA. Once these patients develop septic symptoms, a further decrease in ascorbic acid levels occurs. Given the known role of ascorbate in: a) maintaining endothelial and suppression of inflammatory markers; b) protection from sepsis in animal models; and c) direct antineoplastic effects, we propose the use of ascorbate as an adjuvant to existing modalities in the treatment and prevention of cancer-associated sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthomolecular Studies, Riordan Clinic, 3100 N Hillside, Wichita, Kansas 67210, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Ichim
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Minev
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Braciak
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hunninghake
authors.forename: Nina A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Mikirova
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Jorge R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Miranda-Massari
authors.forename: Doru T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Alexandrescu
authors.forename: Constantin A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dasanu
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bogin
authors.forename: Janis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ancans
authors.forename: R Brian
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Markosian
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koropatnick
authors.forename: Chien-Shing
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Neil H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Riordan
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D004727:Endothelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid